


...and into the fire

by Tangerine_Catnip



Category: Prototype (Video Games), The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Frottage, M/M, Mind Control, Oral Sex, Tentacles, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-03-31 22:30:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3995482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine_Catnip/pseuds/Tangerine_Catnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex wasn’t sure what he had expected Mobius' primary test subject to look like. But it sure as hell wasn’t a scrawny albino with puppy dog eyes that could make even the murderous Blacklight virus hesitate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Pair of Lab Rats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



Alex Mercer strode down the long, sparsely decorated, laboratory hallway. His footsteps making soft splashing sounds as he trod through the shallow pools of blood covering the floor. Severed limbs and other less distinct body parts lay where they had landed when his razor sharp claws ripped apart the piddling forces that stood in his way.

Whoever these 'Mobius' guys were, they clearly had no idea who they were fucking with. Not a single viral detector in this whole building. He could have shifted and consumed his way right through this top secret facility and no one would have ever been the wiser.

But painting the walls in blood was more fun, and it sent an extremely clear message. Mess with Zeus and you got the lightning.

Alex paused and kneeled to the floor, picking up an ID badge pinned to the front of half of a torso. He shook it gingerly to get the blood off and carried it to the scanner at the end of the hall.

With a quick tap the iron door slid back, allowing Alex into the inner sanctum of the Mobius facility.

Alex had been expecting some weird shit once he reached this room, but he still wasn't ready for what he saw next. Instead of the expected glass tubes or cages holding viral monsters in various stages of mutation there was a collection of... Bathtubs?

A perfectly spaced circle of the porcelain tubs was gathered in the center of the room. Above them, a beacon uprooted from a lighthouse. But what was the point in having one in a completely sealed room five floors below ground level?

Weird.

Alex wandered in and glanced into one of the tubs. There was a headrest and some kind of metallic ports along the bottom.

Alex's attention was drawn to the chamber just under the beacon. This tub looked different than the others. Its design was sleek and had a cover on top.

Now that was more like it. This was obviously built to keep something inside. Something human shaped.

With an idle thought Alex's hands shifted into a set of ten long claws. He jammed the blades in-between the cover and the lid, careful to curve his fingers so he wouldn't accidently stab whatever was inside.

With a grunt of effort Alex pried the metal apart. It screeched and groaned, but bent as if it were paper when faced with Alex's strength.

The lid came free with a cacophonous screech and a shower of sparks. The force Alex used carried through and sent the lid flying. It collided with one of the other tubs and knocked it from its supports. Both pieces crashed against the far wall.

Alex shrugged and turned his attention to the contents of the container. His off-blue eyes widening as they fell on the limp body inside.

It was a boy? No... He looked young, but Alex could tell he had at reached adulthood. Or perhaps created with an adult body.

The most striking thing about him was the pure white color of his skin and hair. Albinism was a rare genetic quirk in humans, but not one with any tangible value to code into a genetic mutation virus.

But this was what (who?) he was looking for. From the grabbled memories he has gained from the Mobius operatives he had consumed he knew this man was the linchpin the entire operation was relying on. Take him away and Mobius's plans turned to shit.

To be honest, he didn't know exactly what those plans were for, but he had been on the receiving end of enough conspiracies to know it was better to destroy the guilty parties first and ask questions later.

Or in his case, consume people later.

Alex knew he really should just kill the albino and be over with it. This moment was reminding him of his first meeting with Elizabeth Greene. How much trouble could he have saved if he simply crushed her when he had the chance?

Alex lifted a clawed hand, leaning over the tub as he tried to decide the quickest and preferably painless way to end this young life.

The albino's eyes fluttered open. They were blue like Alex's, only a shade lighter and not full of promise of a swift and violent end.

They're eyes met. Then the albino's gaze fell on the set of five blades hovering over him. A flicker of fear passed through him, no doubt realizing his life was now limited to a precious few seconds.

Alex had seen many people react to the realization they were going to die. Fear, anger, denial, sometimes mixes of all three. He was used to all of it.

Except for one. In very rare cases the final moment of someone's life inspired that dreaded fourth emotion. The one that pierced though Alex's rage and struck at the core of what little humanity he had inherited from the few decent people he had consumed.

Acceptance.

And that's what he saw now. A man whose life had been spent entirely under needles and microscopes, who had never known freedom though longed for it dearly. Looking up into the eyes of his killer and accepting his fate.

Alex knew he was being stupid. Projecting his own assumptions. He had no idea who or what this man was. For all he knew the albino could be simply braindead and have no idea what was going on.

But somehow that didn't seem likely. The moment of fear had proven this man understood what was about to happen. But for one reason or another, simply decided not to fight it.

Alex withdrew his hand, watching the albino for a reaction. He saw him take a short breath, shoulders slumping in relief. But there was more there. A curve of his lips that betrayed a moment of disappointment.

So, the albino didn't want to die, but wasn't that far from being lured by the promise of silence and darkness. An end to his suffering.

Alex's bladed fingertips retracted into his normal human hands. He offered the still far from harmless appendage to the albino, smirking when the younger man took a moment to check the sharp bits were gone before taking it.

The knee deep liquid in the tub sloshed about as the albino clambered out. His movements were rather clumsy and he slipped on the wet porcelain again and again. Falling back into the tub as he tried to climb out.

With a huff of frustration Alex reached in and lifted the albino out. He was light, even for a human. He couldn't have been more than a hundred pounds. Hardly more than bones and skin.

Alex shifted the body in his arms, holding him bridle style with one arm supporting his back and the other tucked under his legs.

It was then Alex made up his mind to take the younger man with him. As usual, the unstoppable power of his own curiosity had won out.

It also probably didn't hurt that he found this man oddly… well, there was no better word for it. He was cute. His short stature and high cheekbones were enough to earn him that description, but his eyes really pushed it over the top.

After all, Alex reasoned. He could always kill him later if he needed to.

* * *

 

The next week was a rather eventful one for the DX-1118 C strain of the blacklight virus. He had already set up a hideout in Krimson city in the form of a penthouse apartment. The rich and reclusive owner had been all too happy to hand over the keys once he had been added to Alex's vast collection of forms and memories.

His albino companion seemed perfectly happy to stay with him for the time being. Which was preferable, since without Alex around to watch over him he would likely get snatched up by Mobius in a heartbeat. If keeping a spanner jammed in their works required a little bit of babysitting on his part, Alex reasoned, then so be it.

although Alex suspected that watching Mobius panic as they tried to find their primary test subject was only half of the reason why this new arrangement didn't bug him as much as he thought it should.

Leslie was really quiet for a human, it had taken two whole days of coaxing to get his name out. Through after that point, things had improved exponentially. Now if Alex really wanted to, he could get a whole two sentences out of Leslie at a time.

There has been a fair bit of surplus food in the kitchen and Leslie seemed able to help himself to it.

At the moment the virus was leaning on the counter watching his unusual roommate eat his usual midmorning bowl of cornflakes. Alex knew he should be out in the city trying to plan his next move, but that didn't seem half as appealing as staying here and quietly observing Leslie.

There was also that niggling feeling in the back of Alex's mind. Like he was neglecting some responsibility by leaving Leslie alone for long stretches. Perhaps some kind of pet owner's guilt from not being able to take Leslie out on walks.

As he watched Leslie Alex pondered the rough straitjacket-like suit that Leslie had worn since his rescue from Mobius. It didn't look comfortable in the least, but Leslie hadn't changed out of it yet. Even though there were plenty of clothes around that might not fall off if he wore them.

"You should take a bath." Alex said suddenly. Completely unaware of the awkward bluntness of the statement.

Leslie stopped chewing and swallowed. Looking up at Alex in mild confusion.

"Should take a bath, should take a bath, should take a..." he repeated the sentence a few times as he thought it over. Alex was used to the odd habit by this point and gave him a moment.

"What's 'a bath'?" Leslie asked suddenly. Genuine curiosity showing as he blinked at Alex.

"Seriously?" the virus deadpanned. Regretting it a moment later when Leslie looked away in embarrassment.

"s-sorry…" Leslie murmured folding his pale fingers in his lap. Suddenly too shy to keep eating his breakfast.

Alex swore under his breath. He really shouldn't have been surprised. He had seen how Mobius misuse of bathtubs first hand. No wonder Leslie didn't know how they were supposed to be used.

"ugh… No, it's alright. Look I'll just show you, okay?" Alex replied. He reached over and grabbed Leslie's wrist pulling the tiny albino out of his seat. Leslie stumbled but Alex's iron grip stopped him from falling over.

Alex led Leslie into the biggest of the apartment's bathrooms. The albino stuck close to Alex, leaning over the virus's shoulder when he stopped to crank the hot water facet open.

Alex rounded on the wide eyed Leslie, sizing up the worn hospital attire. There was probably a way to unfasten it, but that would take a lot more time than he cared to invest.

In two fluid movements. Alex wrapped one arm around Leslie's middle, dipping him backwards like a tango dancer. The other hand came up, claws forming and slicing through the front half of Leslie's jumpsuit.

The albino let out a cry of protest and tried to wiggle out of Alex's grip. But they were so outmatched even the most ginger of Alex's gestures completely immobilised the younger man.

Alex pulled Leslie in till they were pressed chest to chest, then sliced open the back part of Leslie's jumpsuit. Braking open the ties used to bind him into the jacket.

Leslie cringed and clung to Alex, paradoxically seeking comfort with the very person who was frightening him.

Alex would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. All of Leslie's reactions had a primal edge to them he enjoyed. It reminded him of how often his existence often devolved into fighting, killing and consuming.

Alex ran his fingers over Leslie's spine, enjoying the shiver that he caused. There was also the small matter of how incredibly delicate Leslie was. Something about it set Alex's teeth on edge. He wasn't used to feeling hunger in quite the way Leslie inspired it.

Of course compared to him any human might as well be made of glass, but Leslie set the balance in his favor to the point where Alex was a god in comparison.

Yet, Leslie wasn't scared and that was the truly astounding part. He might jump and shrink away when surprised, but proper fear, long lasting and overpowering, never set in. it made Alex wonder what the little albino had seen or experienced in his lifetime that made the dreaded Zuse look like a comfort in comparison.

Alex took a step back to cut the straps along Leslie's leg, but the bulk of his attention was centered on the intricate pattern of scars removing the top half of Leslie's jumpsuit had revealed.

Scars were foreign territory to Alex. Despite the massive amount of damage he took on a daily bases he never developed any long lasting evidence. Cuts sealed instantly and bullet holes vanished as quickly as they were inflected.

Alex retracted his claws, preferring to use his human fingers to trace over the scars along Leslie's forearms. Some were more obvious to guess at. Tell-tail injection scars from experimentation ran up both wrists and arms. While his shoulders were marked by bindings that had been tied to tightly, braking the skin.

The rest was harder to guess at. They were probably unique injuries from being shoved around and beaten when Leslie failed to perform some command, or maybe just when his handlers had a bad day and needed someone to hurt.

Leslie shivered. Without his clothes the room was a tiny bit too cold. But Leslie didn't complain. Alex was staring at him in a way Leslie had learned meant he was lost in thought and he didn't want to interrupt.

Though Leslie never suspected how match of those long pauses were Alex thinking about him and about how easily they're places could be reversed. What Mobius had done to him was exactly what blackwatch would have wanted to do to Alex if they had been able to catch and subdue him. They were a pair of lab rats, one a runner and another that was never able to escape.

Alex tuned back into the sound of running water, reminding him what he had brought Leslie into the bathroom and stripped him for.

Alex let go of Leslie and leaned over the edge of the tub, tracing his fingers through the water. It was a little on the hot side, but that was probably for the best.

Retaking Leslie's hand Alex tugged the albino towards the tub, Leslie squawked in protest. He pulled back, forcing Alex to drag him across the bathroom. But Alex didn't want to force Leslie so the virus stopped mid step, huffing in frustration.

"What's wrong now?" He asked, shooting an annoyed glance down at the Albino.

Leslie was too focused on the bathtub to notice the stare. He was shivering from head to toe. Wide-eyed in fear at the prospect of being put into the tub.

Then it hit Alex. Mobius had used bathtub-like things in they're experiments. Leslie probably thought something awful was going to happen as soon as he was submerged inside one.

"Leslie… it's just water. I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you, alright?"

The albino didn't react to Alex's reassurance. Too caught up in his panic to listen. Alex sighed dramatically. Fine. He preferred the physical route anyway.

The hand still holding Leslie's shifted, changing from human fingers to a mass of black tendrils. They snaked up Leslie's bicep and over his chest, pinning both his arms to his sides. From there some went up to wrap around Leslie's neck and others when down and enveloped his legs, binding them just as tightly.

Leslie would have fallen over but the web of tendrils kept him upright. Outwardly Alex only showed detached disinterest, not letting on that he enjoyed binding Leslie. Perhaps it was seeing the black organic bonds against his snow white skin. Or the rush of triumph when Leslie's struggling slowed and he surrendered into Alex's hold.

His tendrils shifted a little as Alex tightened his grip. He held it for a few seconds then released. Leslie let out a breath. He was painting heavily but in slow measured gasps.

Alex smirked, only Leslie would find being wrapped in the death grip of the blacklight virus reassuring.

"Better?" he asked, trying not to sound too amused, lest Leslie think he was mocking him.

The albino nodded then repeated the word back to him.

"Better…"

Alex shifted his grip so that he wasn't holding the younger man completely immobile. The tendrils stayed in place on his chest. Just in case they were needed again…. and for no other reason.

Alex started nudging Leslie towards the tub again, but then thought better of it. He should get this over with quickly, so Leslie didn't have time to get worked up. He didn't care if things got a little wet in the process.

Moving with the unnatural speed that allowed Alex to defy gravity itself, the sentient virus picked Leslie up and dropped him into the steaming water. The tendrils wrapped around the albino protected him from hitting his head or any only sensitive part against the side of the tub.

"See, that wasn't so hard was it." Alex purred. Kneeling down to the floor so he could lean on the edge of the tub.

Leslie rubbed the water out of his eyes. It was hot, really hot. Not at all like the milky lukewarm fluid he was used to being submerged in.

"What were you expecting was going to happen?" Alex asked, reaching over to brush some wet strands out of Leslie's eyes.

Leslie pursed his lips. As per usual, words failed him completely when trying to describe the STEM system. He would just have to use the emotion that correlated to it.

"Hurt... Leslie was ex-expe-expecting it would hu-hurt." Leslie murmured, hugging himself. Acknowledging it brought back memories of that nightmare world. The tendrils around him tightened the pressure on his skin called Leslie's thoughts back to the moment at hand.

"Well it doesn't. Just like I told you." Alex replied, tilted Leslie's chin up so they're eyes met. "No one is going to hurt you on my watch. Understand?"

"y-yes.." Leslie stammered blushing at the intensity in Alex's tone. He had no idea what he had done to deserve it, but he was thankful none the less.

Alex snapped up a bottle of shampoo from the side of the tub and popped the cap. He held the bottle over the albino's head and squeezed a slow running stream of soap over his white hair and down his neck.

Alex pulled his tendrils back so he could use his both hands to rub the soap into Leslie's tangled strands. Leslie closed his eyes, and bit down on his bottom lip. Alex was being a little rough but he didn't want to complain.

Alex's hands moved down to his shoulders and Leslie couldn't help a soft moan in response. He tried to busy himself by helping rub in the soap.

With the two of them working together it didn't take long to scrub most of the dirt and what was probably dried blood off of his skin. The hot water brought a tinge of color back into Leslie's cheeks and the worst of the tangles came out of his hair once they were brought into contact with a come for the first time.

Alex ran a thumb over Leslie's cheek just under his right eye. The red spots underneath his bottom eyelid hadn't washed off. It looked like a bruise in some stage of healing. It had probably been a rather painful black eye previously. Somehow Alex doubted Leslie had gotten it in a fair fight.

Leslie stared back into Alex's eyes. In an exceedingly rare moment, he had his guard down. He felt overwarm and needy. From the hot water, being touched all over, and most of all, having his hair played with.

Leslie leaned up and pressed his lips against Alex's, offering a shy kiss than lasted only a few seconds.

The blacklight virus froze in place. His fingers tightening around the rim of the tub. Leslie blinked up at him, his embarrassment returning once he realized he had misread what the older man wanted. He curled up into a ball and closed his eyes hoping Alex wouldn't be angry with him.

Alex growled under his breath. Glaring at the quivering albino. It seemed Leslie had a habit of falling head first into things he was unprepared for. Fantastic.

Alex was mostly peeved Leslie had gotten to make the first move. While not exactly planning it, he had expected a longer stretch of time to figure out how he felt about the albino, how deep his attraction went, and if he would ever act on it.

Of course it might have been his fault for insisting Leslie get naked and helping him bathe.

Alex snatched one of Leslie's wrists and lifted him out of the tub. The albino barely had time to yelp before he was pinned against the bathroom wall. Dripping wet and covered in soap bubbles.

Alex's kiss was forceful and brash, the complete opposite of Leslie's. Alex skipped several steps forcing his tongue passed Leslie's lips and snaring the inexperienced albino in an open mouthed make out.

Leslie soon learned to let Alex lead, even standing up wasn't really required since Alex was holding him so tightly gravity could hardly hope to compete.

Just when Leslie's mind was starting to swim from being half suffocated by Alex's lips, Leslie felt the older man shift. Alex kissed just under Leslie's ear pausing to murmur in harsh tones against his cheek.

"Word of warning, Leslie. Don't start things with me unless you're ready to finish them."

Leslie swallowed hard and wrapped his arms around Alex's shoulders. Clinging to the back of his leather jacket with every ounce of strength he had.

"Ready to finish them. Finish them. Finish them..." Leslie repeated the words under his breath. Pale fingers traced the half open zipper of Alex's jacket, but they were clumsy and he couldn't seem to do anything that might help remove it.

Alex chucked. Taking Leslie's wrists in both his hands and holding them in place over the albino's head.

"Here. Allow me…" he insisted.

Leslie watched as the fabric and leather that had felt so real under his fingers seemed to melt away as it reincorporated into Alex's biomass.

Leslie tugged on the hands stopping him from pressing himself against Alex again. Without the layer of clothing(?) in the way he could feel the heat radiating off the blacklight virus. Leslie hadn't really had much physical contact in his life to compare it to, but he was convinced Alex was warmer than any human should be.

"Alex..." Leslie half moaned the name and to his delight Alex leaned in at the sound of his name. With Alex leaning over him they're hips pressed together. Leslie's breath hitched a little as the fabric on the front of Alex's pants rubbed against the underside of his erect cock.

"Alex should finish Leslie. Leslie… I… I want... to finish what I started."

Zeus growled, his hands tightening around Leslie's wrists. If he ever needed any proof that his little albino hadn't a once of self-preservation instinct he had it now. Baiting him was not a mistake that could be made twice.

Alex jerked Leslie away from the wall and swapped they're positions so he was leaning against it instead. Then together they collapsed to the floor.

Leslie ended up sprawled in Alex's lap, straddling the older man's hips.

"You're getting off easy this time. Only because I know you don't understand what you're getting yourself into, asking to get fucked by me. Just In case you haven't noticed, I'm not human. And not something you're ready for."

As If to punctuate Alex's point Leslie felt warm tendrils start to crawl up over his thighs wrapping around his legs and binding him in place. They felt different this time, like they were being meticulously controlled instead of acting on reflex.

Leslie let out a gasp as one of the tendrils wrapped around the base of his cock. Alex smirked and cupped Leslie's face in his hands pulling the albino in for a kiss.

Between the strange but pleasant feeling of tongues twining together, and the shivering twinges of pleasure from his hips as Alex's tendrils wrapped around his shaft, Leslie couldn't decide what to focus on.

Somewhere in the tangle of limps Alex found Leslie's wrist and guided his hand to the front of his jeans. Then leaned back against the wall to watch what Leslie would do next.

The albino swallowed repressing a wave of nervous energy. Unlike the one on Alex's jacket this zipper came undone when Leslie fiddled with it. Leslie's fingertips brushed over the lump on the front of Alex's boxers and Alex responded with another growl, but this time with a distinct note of approval mixed in.

Curiosity piqued, Leslie scooted back so he could lean forward and get a better look at what he was doing. He managed to push the hem of Alex's boxers out of the way, and carefully closed his fingers around the middle of Alex's cock.

Leslie had thought Alex had run unusually hot before, but it was nothing compared to this. He could feel a soft throbbing under his fingertips. It felt like a heartbeat but Leslie knew that Alex didn't have one of those.

The tendril around Leslie's shaft began moving again, rubbing in a slow and steady pattern urging Leslie to do the same.

But the ex-mental patient hesitated, suddenly caught in a wave of anxiety. He wasn't good with his hands. Always clumsy and useless. Leslie didn't want to disappoint Alex, he wanted to be good enough. Just this once, he wanted to be good enough.

Having his mind connected to so many others in STEM had quickly given Leslie a crash course all of the bedroom activities an insane mind could dream up. He didn't dare to linger on some of them, but maybe… if he used his mouth.

"Leslie! Fucking." Alex swore, his half lidded eyes going wide as Leslie leaned forward even further and ran his pale pink tough up the underside of his cock. Leslie repeated the motion and Alex arched back so suddenly he cracked his head against the bathroom wall. Leslie jumped, but a hand tangling in his ivory hair stopped him from pulling away.

"Shit... no, I'm fine. Just…" Alex trailed off. His teeth gritting together. He knew he should make Leslie stop. Clearly none of his warnings were sinking in. Leslie was going to bring out the worst in him. Pit Alex's conscience against his desire until he unleased the monster Alex pretended not to be.

He should. And he would. Right after he got to see what Leslie looked like with his lips wrapped around his cock.

Leslie, quivering with energy, resumed his oral explorations. The tendrils around Leslie's cock streaked him along his full length, keeping time with the passes of his tongue. Eventually Leslie settled into the rhythm and relaxed a little. Just enough to risk taking Alex into his mouth.

Leslie tried his best to do it properly and not accidently run his teeth over Alex's cock. At least until he noticed that Zeus's moaning increase when he did it by accident.

Alex tugged on Leslie's hair. Using up buckets of willpower to make sure he didn't hurt Leslie in the process. The tendril he was using to tease Leslie begin rubbing against the very tip of the albino's cock making Leslie moan and whimper around his mouthful.

A second tendril separated from the ones twining around Leslie's legs and found its way up to where the albino's legs met. It pressed against Leslie's entrance, prodding him and pressing against the tight ring of muscle.

Leslie gasped, braking off mid bob of his head, too concerned with the sudden turn of events to mind Alex's hiss of annoyance.

A second tendril joined the first. This one was thicker and dripping with some kind of warm red liquid. It pressed into Leslie and this time there wasn't enough friction to stop it.

Leslie screamed, and the sound seemed to finally snap Alex back into what was happening. The tendrils froze in place like they had just been caught with they're hands in the cookie jar. Alex let go of Leslie's hair. Anger rising like bile in his throat. He wanted to punch something. Hurt the thing that had ruined the moment.

But it was his own fault, his tendrils were only doing what he wanted them to do. He looked down at the anxious Leslie. His hair was a mess and a trail of saliva was running down the corner of his mouth. He looked amazing like that. Stirred up and horny and good enough to eat.

Images flited though Alex's mind. Leslie with his ass and mouth full of thick blacklight tendrils. Seeing how many he could fit into Leslie at once along with his cock. Making him cum over and over, until Leslie's shy and soft little voice went horse with moaning and crying.

Leslie blinked up at Alex, paralysed by the look he was being given. There was no comfort or love in that stare. Only hunger. Dark and unending like a bottomless pit.

Alex bit down on his own lip with enough force to draw blood. The sudden pain shooed away the overpowering lust. At least for a moment. But to get rid of the blasted lust for good He needed to cum. The sooner the better.

He grasped Leslie and scoped the albino up tightly against his chest, his hand closing around both of their cocks so the undersides rubbed together. Leslie instinctually moved his hips, his fear from a moment ago long forgotten.

Alex was more than done teasing. His fingers moved rapidly varying his grip as he stroked. Leslie rested his head in the crock of Alex's shoulder moaning softly. Still too timid to raise his voice if he could help it.

Leslie broke first, succumbing to a rush of pleasure he hadn't yet experienced in his young life. He gasped out Alex's name, thankfully it was only two syllables or likely Leslie wouldn't have managed even that.

Alex's orgasm didn't have a half measure of Leslie's grace. His growling only got louder as he got closer to what he craved. Release hit hard and Alex gave himself over to it.

Serval intense seconds later, Alex finally recognised the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. He released they're spend cocks and shoved Leslie off. The albino was too tired to support himself and flopped to the tiled floor on his back beside Alex with a pathetic whimper. The sound made Alex's heart skip a beat. Realizing that Leslie was still alive.

A large bite mark on Leslie's shoulder was bleeding heavily, but it didn't seem to be putting much of a damper on the albino's post sex euphoria. A trail of cum, his own mixed with Alex's, decorated his lower tummy.

Leslie whined again and forced himself up trying to get close to Alex again. Zeus moved out of Leslie's reach, tucking himself back into his boxers and re-zipping his pants. He needed to go outside and get some air. A moment to clear his head. Run at top speed until he was too tired to move. But he had to stay for a moment more, he couldn't leave Leslie bleeding.

Leslie watched in confusion as Alex nearly broke the door of the medicine cabinet and fished out a role of gauze.

Alex returned to Leslie on the floor but to the albino's dismay Alex wouldn't look him in the eyes. The blood was welling over Leslie's skin making it look like his entire shoulder was ripped open. The smell of it was enough to make Alex's mouth water.

Just one more taste.

Leslie moaned tilted his head to the side. Eyes closing tightly as he drunk in the warmth of Alex's tongue lapping at his injured shoulder. Afraid of doing something to make Alex angry Leslie sat completely still, responding to Alex with pleased whimpers.

Alex stopped himself once the majority of the blood was gone. Resisting the temptation to wait for more to spill from Leslie's veins. With the practiced skill of someone who had many doctor's worth of medical knowledge to draw from, Alex wrapped Leslie's shoulder up. Securing the bandage under Leslie's arm on the opposite side of his torso so it would stay in place.

He tied off the end around Leslie's arm and stood up again. He shifted back into his jacket and hoodie and paced to the door.

"There's some clothing in the bedroom. It should fit you." He said, taking one last glance down at Leslie before stalking out of the room. Leslie heard one of the windows in the next room open wincing as it snapped closed.

Leslie hugged his knees to his chest. Wondering what he had done wrong.


	2. The Cat Comes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex licks old wounds and Ruvik creates new ones. while Leslie is the prey caught between two predators.

****Alex entered through the kitchen window. A glance at the digital clock on the microwave told him it was nearly 2am.

The boxes of sugary cereal Leslie had been eating for most of his meals didn't appear to have been moved since lunch, and there was no trace of used dishes.

Alex huffed under his breath. He had expected that to be the case. Leslie's eating habits seemed to have more to do with his mood than anything else.

What really annoyed Zeus, though, was the wave of guilt Leslie could invoke by doing practically nothing. He wanted to be angry, anger was an emotion he was comfortable with, but no matter how he spun it in his mind he couldn't blame Leslie.

Alex had known when he had decided not to kill him that he was taking on a responsibility he was ill-equipped to handle. Having human friends was almost impossible when killing was your biological imperative.

Leslie had no idea what he was, and Alex would do almost anything to keep it that way. An innocent and kindhearted creature like Leslie would shrink away with fear and disgust if he learned how Alex had to feed on others to survive. He still remembered the look in Diana's eyes when she had learned the truth. The moment he realized she would never see him the same way again.

He didn't think he could carry on this indirect lie forever, but while it lasted he would cling to it. He didn't deserve to be loved, but he would sure as hell enjoy it while it lasted.

Alex started searching the apartment for Leslie. None of the lights had been turned on and the whole place felt empty and abandoned. For a moment Alex worried that Leslie might have left. The albino had no place to go, but that might not have stopped him.

Then his keen hunter's hearing picked up the faint sound of crying from the master bedroom. Alex gritted his teeth, feeling another pang of guilt and frustration. It wasn't his fault. He had to leave to protect Leslie. But knowing that was true didn't actually ease the disarming feelings.

Moving silently, Alex crossed the apartment and nudged open the bedroom door. It was too dark to see at first, but after activating his thermal vision, Alex could see a mass of heat curled up under the blankets.

Alex hesitated a moment. Not sure if he it was right for him to comfort Leslie after he had been the one to make the albino miserable in the first place. But then, if leaving Leslie alone would have fixed anything his half day absence would have done the trick.

With a sigh, Alex flopped down on the overly-soft surface of the king-sized bed. He heard a muffled gasp of surprise from under the blankets and Leslie wriggled out from under them. With his thermal vision Alex could see the faint lines of tears running down Leslie's cheeks.

He reached over and pulled Leslie into his arms. The albino had found a loose fitting t-shirt and pajama pants to wear. Alex guessed he had just picked out the articles with the softest material.

After taking a moment to consider the best way to comfort Leslie. Alex gently took hold of one of the albino's shoulders and turned him over so his back was towards him. Leslie let out a sound someplace between a confused whine and a sob as Alex slipped his arms around his hips and pulled him flush against his chest.

With they're height difference Alex was able to curl up around Leslie, resting his chin on top of Leslie's fluffy hair. It still smelled strongly of shampoo from its wash earlier that day. He moved a hand up to Leslie's shoulder checking on the bandages he had wrapped earlier that day. He couldn't feel though the shirt, so he slipped a hand under it. Leslie let out a squeak, his tummy muscles tightening as Alex ran his hand over them.

From what he could feel, the bandages were still in place and the blood hadn't soaked through the layers of gauze. Maybe the bite injury wasn't as bad as Alex had assumed.

He knew he should change the wrappings but comforting Leslie seemed more important at the moment. He pulled his hand out of Leslie's shirt and nuzzled into the albino's uninjured shoulder.

"I'm sorry…"Alex whispered, using one of the hands wrapped around Leslie's chest to reach up and brush some tears off Leslie's cheeks.

Leslie sniffled, but he seemed to be done crying for now. He took in a shaky breath, and clutched Alex's forearms and hands to his chest, holding as tightly as he dared.

"Sorry... I'm sorry." He repeated. Then after another broken gasp added. "I didn't mean to. Please don't… don't leave Leslie."

Alex stiffened. His chest hurt, but nothing physical seemed to be causing it. Is this what humans meant when they referred to having 'a broken heart'? It was decidedly unpleasant, whatever you called it.

"It's not your fault." Alex insisted, having to be careful to keep himself from raising his voice in his frustration. He was laying with his lips next to Leslie's ear after all. "I hurt you."

Leslie shook his head slightly. Though Alex didn't know what he meant by it. He couldn't deny that Alex had hurt him. Perhaps he meant that it hadn't really hurt? After all, Leslie's scars indicated he had suffered a lot worse in his life. Somehow the prospect of it not hurting as much in comparison didn't do anything to assuage Alex's conscience.

"Didn't... I didn't... T-think you would… you would come… c-come back" Leslie stammered. His smaller fingers closing between the gaps in-between Alex's.

"Well, I did, didn't I?" Alex replied curtly. His own grip around Leslie tightening as he stuffed the emotional blow Leslie's lack of faith dealt.

"I will always come back. Mobius will never lay hands on you again. " Alex spoke with conviction. His words backed up by level of power worthy of his thunder god namesake.

"M-Mo-Mobius!" Leslie covered his mouth, letting go of Alex in the process. He curled up even tighter, shrinking away from Alex as he closed himself off.

Alex hissed angrily, grabbing Leslie and flipping the albino onto his back. Leslie yelped, panic kicking in for ten frightful seconds before Alex flopped down on top of him. Settling on his chest like a large shaggy dog laying on its owner.

Alex was careful to not suffocate Leslie while covering as much of the younger man's body with his own as possible.

"Better?"

Leslie's cheek was pressed against Alex's collarbone so his voice sounded deeper than usual. The soft vibrations of Alex's vocal cords was oddly relaxing.

"….Better..." Leslie murmured.

* * *

 

" _Alex… Ah… Alex!"_

_Leslie pulled and tugged against the tendrils binding his arms behind his back. Two flexible bonds held his legs, holding them open._

_Alex had meant to start slowly, but Leslie's needy moaning had cut through his defenses before he had a chance to even start fulfilling that promise._

_The sound of Leslie screams as the first of his tendrils penetrated him was like music to Alex. So full of nuanced emotions, of well-worn pain, and untapped depths of pleasure. He buried his tendril deep, his hungry grin winding as Leslie gave into his intrusion._

_It took some careful maneuvering to get the second tendril into Leslie, but after that he took the third easily enough. They moved out of sync, taking turns thrusting into the tiny albino while the other two stayed inside. working over his sweet spot and stirred up his insides._

_Tears ran down Leslie's cheeks, his voice had given out and making way for silent tears. Alex's gorgeous broken bird._

_Leslie was his. All his._

* * *

 

The blacklight virus awoke with a violent start. Which was strange for serval reasons. The primary one being the fact that he didn't sleep in the first place.

He could lay still in a dormant state for hours, if he needed to play dead or give the false impression he was vulnerable, but even then he was still conscious and ready to act on a second's notice.

And to make matters even stranger he had… dreamed? Yeah, that's had to be what it was. At least he hoped to god that's what it was.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with both of his hands. Poor Leslie. He could still see his face, the look of pain in his eyes, and feel himself enjoying it.

Leslie…

Alex glanced around, he was laying in the bed in the apartment, but Leslie was nowhere to be found.

Alex tried to stem his panic. Leslie had probably just wandered into another room. In a shocking display of willpower, Alex managed to hold on to that vain hope for the full twenty seconds it took to tear through all the rooms of the apartment and verify Leslie was gone.

Out through the window, Alex was rooftop hopping before he had fully decided on a course of action beyond 'kill Mobius, find Leslie.'

It took fifteen minutes sprinting at top speed to cross the city to the skyscraper headquarters of the secret society. By a stroke of luck, it looked like a patrol was just heading out. Alex dropped to the pavement, gliding a hand over the brickwork and slowing his decent so the impact wouldn't alert his prey.

The Mobius goons were dressed in white hazmat suits reinforced with body armor. The tell-tail red stars and spike logo across their chests. Alex waited till one lagged behind the rest, snatched him up and consumed him, stepping seamlessly into his from.

_Spotted in quadrant…. Near regent street…. Sure it's him…. Ruvik… bring him back alive! We need that boy!... thing that attacked the STEM experiment floor comes back?... primary objective is Leslie… you all know the consequences for failure.._

Alex stumbled as the rush of memories filled his mind. He didn't understand most of it, but the important thing was that he knew where Leslie was now. He just had to get there first.

* * *

 

Alex knew something was wrong the moment he set eyes on Leslie. The normally shy and introverted boy was standing with his shoulders back his head held up high, glaring at the growing number of Mobius agents attempting to surround him.

The loose and mismatched clothing from last night was gone. Replaced by a dress shirt, a vest and matching black pants. Despite the dramatic change in attire they still fit poorly. They must have been removed from the formal section of the apartment closet.

The most unsettling change was Leslie's gate. The characteristic stumbling and uneven steps were replaced with a slow swagger. Cat-like and dangerous, like that of a predator.

Alex found his way to the concrete and blended in with the Mobius soldiers, inching closer to Leslie as the armed forces closed around him. The city street had been cleared out by police, but curious onlookers were pushing against the barricades. Some were recording with cell phones or even full blown video cameras.

Leslie lifted his hands in surrender as gun barrels trained on him, but the smirk on his face made it clear as day it was only for show.

"End of the line Ruvik! Get on the ground and submit to arrest. You have three seconds to comply!" Alex couldn't tell who what shouting and he didn't care to take his eyes off Leslie to check.

"Three… Two…"

Leslie didn't move. He just kept staring at them, a bored expression on his face.

"uguuugh!"

A loud screeching sound pierced the air, and every single one of the Mobius soldiers collapsed, one after the other. They writhed on the ground screaming, clawing at their skin, and slamming various body parts against the concrete. A few took the easy way out, turning their weapons on themselves. Gunshots rang out, blood spilling from limp bodies. In a few short moments Alex was the only one still standing.

Seeing no further need for his disguise, Alex shrugged it off. Stepping over the dead or convulsing bodies towards the albino.

"You… I was wondering if I would run into you…"

The voice that came from Leslie's lips was low and dripped with venom. Alex knew the type. It was the voice of a killer. Not an everyday murder either. The kind who saw human life as a simple means to an end. A monster just like him.

Alex closed the gap, snatching the albino up by the front of his dress shirt.

"Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Leslie!" he roared. Alex already had various scenarios playing out in his mind. Another viral strain that had found his Leslie and was walking around wearing his skin? Or perhaps something new, something worse. Something Mobius had done.

The creature wearing Leslie skin laughed. Cold and harsh. Then the sound came again. Loud like the scratching and static of some awful electrical device. It didn't seem to have a source, as if it was a shared figment of everyone's imagination.

Alex flinched, but didn't let go. His head hurt, as if something was trying to burrow its way into his skull, trying to take control.

But Alex had too many minds, too many targets and more raw mental power then whatever this thing had. The discomfort faded and when Alex looked back into the Leslie's stolen eyes, he saw a flicker of fear.

Alex pulled back his fist, rage and the impulse for revenge driving him into a mad fury.

Leslie screamed.

Alex's lighting reflexes caught his punch milliseconds before it made impact. The hand around the front of Leslie's shirt let go, and the albino crumpled to the pavement. Pale fingers jammed over his eyes, the whole of his slim figure quaking in fear.

Alex kneeled in the middle of the road. Caught between intense relief and horror at what he had almost done. Even worse, the prickling doubt. For all he knew this was just a ploy to let his guard down, it was exactly the kind of thing he would have done to confuse his opponent.

Alex reached out a hand towards Leslie.

"Hey, You!"

Alex whipped around, getting to his feet and into a fighting stance. A woman with short brown hair was walking up the street towards him.

It was clear that she was with Mobius, but wasn't in their colors. She looked a little like Dana actually, if she ever got a desk job and had to start dressing for the office.

The Mobius personal not already incapacitated were cowering behind armored vehicles up the street. Conversely, this woman wasn't even armed. Not that a gun would have protected her from him anyway.

"If you care about Leslie, and I think you do, you can't hurt Ruvik. Leslie's still in there, and If you kill Ruvik you'll kill him as well."

Alex looked from the cowering albino to the woman.

"And who the hell are you?" he snapped.

"Kidman. Julie Kidman."

Another moment passed while Alex sized Kidman up. He could crush her as easily as blinking an eye. But she didn't seem scared of him.

"You're with Mobius"

"I am…"

Alex shifted. He didn't want to be talking with Mobius. But if Kidman was offering him answers he would be stupid not to take them.

"Who the hell is Ruvik, and what's wrong with Leslie."

Kidman didn't answer right away. Taking a second to find a good way to sum it up.

"Ruvik is… well, was a person, kind of. Ruben Victoriano. He built a machine. One that connected the consciousness of people together. He died, and remained trapped in the machine. Until he escaped in the body of a rare compatible subject. Leslie."

Leslie heard his name and looked up. But as he laid eyes on Kidman, he flinched and let out a shriek. Wrapping his arms around his head. He started mumbling under his breath, but it was too quiet for Alex to make out what he was saying.

Kidman had the decency to look ashamed. She had some history with Leslie, and according to his reaction, it was not something the albino remembered fondly.

"We think Ruvik was planning to completely take over Leslie's mind." Kidman continued. "Either he miscalculated or Leslie was too strong for him. But they're both in there now. Physically and mentally bound together."

Alex growled under his breath, taking a menacing step towards Kidman. "And why are you telling me this?"

"You're the one who'd been taking care of Leslie for the last week. You broke him out of our facility. If you wanted him dead you would have done it. So you don't want Leslie dead and neither does Mobius. If telling you about Ruvik stops you from making any rash judgments, then it's in our interests to tell you."

Alex nodded. Self-consciously curling and uncurling his fists. He wanted to refute her accusation, but they both knew that a "rash judgment" on his part had nearly ended in tragedy for all of them.

Deciding he was done talking, Alex turned away from Kidman and bend to the ground to gather Leslie up in his arms. The albino wiggled and kicked, whimpering in fear.

Alex could have sworn Kidman was giving him a dirty look, but he didn't turn to check. Before anyone could think of trying to stop him Alex jumped, taking off up the nearest building and into the urban jungle.

* * *

 

Alex leaned against the bedroom wall, his legs crossed under him. His plan to wait Leslie out was beginning to seem less and less appealing the further he progressed into his second hour of waiting. Patience was never one of Zeus's strong points and the sounds of crying coming from under the bed were grating on his nerves.

"Leslie…"

Alex took a long breath out. He had no way of knowing if Leslie was even listening to him, but he had to try. He had to think up a way to explain himself.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright. I-" Alex stopped mid-sentence realizing how defensive that sounded. If he really wanted Leslie to forgive him, he would have to drop some of his damn bravado. Alex took another deep breath and tried again.

"When people act like they shouldn't… in my world that means… well, it means they're already long gone. I thought you were dead. I didn't understand."

He rocked forward and braced himself against the floor lowering onto his chest. Leslie had his back to him, but from what he could see the steady shaking of the younger man's shoulders had stopped.

"It won't happen again. Even if you turn into… him… again. "

Alex shifted closer. He could easily flip the entire bed over and pull Leslie out by his ankle, and damned if he wasn't tempted, but that would only add to the growing list of things he was in the doghouse for.

He reached under the bed, stopping when his fingertips barely brushed the back of Leslie's loose fitting suit vest.

"I'm sorry…"

Leslie pulled away from his touch, and the blacklight virus felt a sharp pang of loss. It was shocking how such a small movement could cause him more pain then any lethal weapon he had come across.

….Except maybe for rocket launchers.

Fingers closed around Alex's as Leslie took Alex's hand in both of his, squeezing tightly. Alex squeezed back.

"Does this mean you're ready to come out now?" Alex asked. He didn't want to push, but being separated from Leslie by a fucking piece of furniture was really starting to get old.

Leslie paused, thinking it over.

"No.. No… not yet."

Alex sighed, but he couldn't say he didn't deserve it.

"Alright, just let me know when you are, okay?"

"O-okay…"

Leslie did eventually come out by his own volition. As far as Alex was concerned, the first order of business was getting him out of the stupid outfit that 'Ruvik' had stuffed him into.

Alex would have liked to cut it off, but reminding Leslie his deadly powers wasn't worth it. So he was stuck with undoing buttons.

Leslie shifted about as Alex undressed him. Restless from his hours of hiding. Sometimes Alex forgot what a ball of energy his little albino could be.

Right now Leslie seemed intent on snuggling up to him, which was unfortunate because that's exactly what Alex wanted to do as well. He only managed to make a tiny amount of progress before his resolve cracked and he had to take a break to cuddle the troublesome albino.

"Fucking hell, do you ever hold still?" Alex grumbled, wrapping both his arms around Leslie's middle. The albino seemed intent on using his chest as a pillow. Leslie let out a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle, shifting closer so he was sitting in the blacklight virus's lap.

With a dramatic sigh, Alex flopped onto his back on the bed so Leslie was laying on top of him. Leslie crawled up, resting his elbows on either side of Alex's head and leaning down to kiss the older man.

Alex resolved that he would initiate the next kiss, if only to break Leslie's streak of getting the jump on him. Leslie's kiss started out slow and exploratory, getting more intense as he settled into the motions.

Leslie's hands closed around Alex's wrists, pinning him to the bed. The grip was tight, and oddly for Leslie, it didn't waver. Alex tugged back sharply, shoving Leslie away with a hand pressed against the albino's sternum. A single glance into the albino's eyes confirmed his suspicions.

"Ruvik…" he hissed, resisting the urge to toss the unwanted guest across the room. Instead, he simply pushed Leslie's hijacked body off of him.

"Hello Alex…" Ruvik replied, false congeniality radiating off him. "I thought now that 'Kid' has explained the situation. You and I should be able to have a productive talk."

"We have nothing to talk about." Alex snapped, rising from the bed. He didn't want to leave, but he would have to if Ruvik provoked him. For Leslie's safety.

Ruvik smoothed out the front of his shirt, not seeming to mind that it was more than halfway undone.

"You're not the only one who can hurt Leslie. He's my vessel and completely under my power."

"Is that a threat?"

"Absolutely. I can inflict pain in ways you can't even imagine. Without attacking our shared body. And I'll make sure Leslie knows you let it happen-"

Alex growled loud enough to drown Ruvik out. But he had made his point. The two predators stared each other down.

"Another fucking scientist." Alex spat. "You think you can understand what I am if only you ask the right question, or get a chance to examine me. Hundreds of others had failed, and all of them thought they were cleverer than the others."

"And I have had accomplishments where others can only dream. Leaving the hundreds of bright sparks Mobius employed scrabbling in the dust." Ruvik replied coolly, shrugging his shoulders. The material sliding further down his pale shoulders and arms. "But regardless of my credentials, you want Leslie's safety and I want answers. We trade or we don't."

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it?" Alex asked, leaning with his shoulders against the closet door, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You don't have any other choice. But if you intrigue me enough, it would be in my interest to do more 'passive observation'."

Alex bristled. The clear implication that Ruvik was watching even while Leslie was in control was unsettling, but at least it gave him a strategy. Ruvik could be pacified as long as he kept the flow of information to a slow trickle.

Assuming he had won, Ruvik started into his questions.

"What are you?"

"The Dx-1118 C strain of Blacklight Virus." Alex answered, not skipping a beat. If Ruvik wanted answers he could give them, but he wasn't about to go out of his way to explain anything he didn't have to.

Ruvik raised both eyebrows, his look of incredulity alien to Leslie's face.

"You're rather large for a virus..."

"I'm special."

Ruvik hummed under his breath. Realizing he needed to word his questions carefully to make any progress.

"I can sense the presence of many different intellects within you. How did you assimilate these minds into your own?"

"I ate them." Alex deadpanned. Enjoying the moment of stunned silence from the other side of the room.

"All of them, or just the gray matter?" Ruvik was leaning forward now. He looked almost... excited. Delighted instead of disgusted by Alex's need to consume.

"All. They need to be alive before I consume them."

"And how many minds have you assimilated into yourself?"

"Three hundred and forty seven. Approximately."

Alex realized after speaking that he had deeply misjudged his audience. He was hoping for fear, but Ruvik's reacted to the astronomical body count like a child offered a bag of sweets. A smile of unmistakable joy on his lips.

"And even with hundreds of minds, you remain the dominant personality?"

Alex paused, having to think about that question for a moment. It was true absorbing memories sometimes altered his viewpoint. But a dominant personality? Did Ruvik think that the people he consumed somehow lived on inside of him?

Didn't really matter, it was better for Ruvik to have no idea what was really going on.

"Yes."

Ruvik's lapsed into silence, a look of deep contemplation on his stolen face. Sensing a moment of advantage Alex switched to the offensive.

"Are you finished asking questions?"

Alex took a step towards Ruvik, using his height and natural menace to loom over the sitting albino.

"Yes, though I do have a piece of friendly advice…" Ruvik answered. He managed to hold his ground against Alex, except for a tiny twitch of his shoulder.

Ruvik tilted his head to the side, looking Alex in the eyes as she showed off the bandaged wound that had cause the Blacklight virus so much unease.

"Leslie is no stranger to pain. It's what he knows best. He enjoys a love bite, or two. Given with a measure of pleasure to balance it out, of course." Ruvik's dropped from his self-important commanding tones into a soft purr. His eyes narrowing slightly as he kept eye contact with Alex.

"If I'm going to share my vessel with you. The least you can do is keep him satisfied."

Alex gritted his teeth, his hackles raising like a feral hound.

"That's none of your business."

Ruvik rolled his eyes, and leaned back on the bed. Taking full advantage of Leslie's diminutive frame to appear harmless.

"Leslie knows nothing but obedience and you can harness that. You could set him free, but we both know you won't. You want to be the one holding his leash, don't you? To have him depend on you and love you with wholehearted devotion. Like a disciple and their god." Ruvik used Leslie's fingers to fiddle with the undone dress shirt, undoing the last few buttons Alex hadn't yet gotten to.

"You help me and I'll give you everything you need to know. Leslie will never shrink away in fear again."

Alex didn't respond beyond his cold stare. Refusing to engage in a conversation that might delay him from holding up his end of the deal.

"Think about it." Ruvik added with a shrug. "I'm not going anywhere after all."

Leslie's body convulsed and fell limp to the bedspread. Alex pounced, scooping the younger man into his arms. For one agonizing moment Leslie lay completely still, his chest frozen in mid breath.

With a violent jerk Leslie's eyes snapped open, wide with panic. He screamed and struggled, getting a few decent hits as his fists collided with Alex's chest. If he had been human it might have even stung a little.

Eventually Leslie recognized who was holding him. Visible relief washed over him as he discovered he wasn't alone.

"A-Alex!" Leslie squeaked, wrapping his arms around the virus's torso and holding him with all the conviction of a drowning man clutching a life preserver.

"Shh.. It's alright. I'm right here..." Alex ran his hands down Leslie's back as he spoke. "Did Ruvik hurt you?"

"N-no…" Leslie stammered, His breathing stating to level out as he settled back into reality.

Alex gently pried Leslie's hands off and pressed the albino down against the mattress.

"You're safe. Just like I promised."

Leslie nodded. Having Alex's conforming weight on top of him helped push back his fear of the darkness inside his own mind. Physical sensation to tie him to the world outside his head.

"Leslie… safe.. Is safe.."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't actually have an explanation for this one. but hey, it's cute right?
> 
> i'm planning to continue this, but i'm leaving this first part as a one shot so it can stand alone.


End file.
